Language acquisition is one of the most remarkable achievements of childhood.  Typically by age 5, children acquire a variety of speech and language skills and have an increased expressive and receptive vocabulary repertoire.

Children’s language development has been a topic of interest for several years.  It is also the focus of a notable amount of scientific research.  Young children’s language skills are essential to their interpersonal and academic success. Typical developing children in their respective environments acquire the language that they hear. Nevertheless, language development varies enormously. It is fundamental to consider the capacity of children and to decipher their innate abilities and environmental contexts when it comes to language acquisition and development.

Early language and literary development, which includes reading and writing, usually begins in the first three years of life and is closely attributed to a child’s earliest exposure and experience with stories, books and other reading materials suitable for their young age. The interactions that young children have with adults in their lives and literacy materials serve as building blocks for language, reading and writing development. Positive early language and literacy development can give children a window to the world. A bright hope for tomorrow that ensures each child can seize a potential successful future.

Literacy is about communication. It begins long before a baby is born in this world. Babies have innate capabilities to learn, communicate and connect with others. They express it through crying, facial expression, sounds and movements. Language development and literacy of infants and toddlers are best supported through exploration, discovery and activities with adults around them.

Children can only attain competency in fundamental school readiness skills such as language and literacy when they began to experience and master all the aspects of development. These domains include cognitive, social, emotional and physical. Non-cognitive areas like motivation to read and persistence in learning are also vital.

From very early on, young children are not simply passive observers. Rather, they are building their own explanatory systems and theories which organize their knowledge.  Such implicit theories enable these children to predict, explain and reason regarding relevant events and sometimes find ways to change them. These theories contain basic principles and relations that will guide them in developing their language skills and literacy. Even in their early minds, they will start to develop perspectives and speculations about how the world of people and other living things, objects and numbers operate. It is vital to point out that these foundational theories are not simply solitary forms of knowledge but play an overpowering role in the everyday lives of young children and their subsequent education.

Children’s language development and literacy development are interrelated and paramount to each other. The development of language and literacy consists of knowledge and skills in areas such as grammar, vocabulary, syntax, writing, reading, comprehension, and discourse skills.

According to research, when adults develop and create enriched language and literacy environments and react to a child’s communication in specific ways, they can help stimulate and expand a child’s developing language and literacy development.  The most important mentors in a child’s life are the ones with the greatest potential to help guide and direct a child towards future academic success.

 

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